England V Australia, 4th Test: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

England versus Australia
Fourth Test: Chester-le-Street Durham
Friday Aug 9 - Tuesday Aug 13, 11:00BST
Live Stream: Sky Sports 2
TV info: Sky Sports 2, 10:00 - 19:00BST, highlights Channel 5, 19:00 - 20:00BST

England and Australia move north to Chester-le-Street after three days’ rest for the fourth Test of this engrossing five-match Ashes series, although some of the red-hot tension will have dissipated after Alastair Cook’s men retained the urn at Old Trafford on Monday.

The rain-affected draw in Manchester that secured the home side possession of the Ashes for a third straight series was the earliest England had got their hands on the little replica trophy since 1972, when it was all done and dusted by July 29.

However, there is still much at stake in the final two Test matches of the summer, with Michael Clarke’s tourists still capable, in case anyone forgets in the heady jubilation of the Old Trafford celebrations, of squaring the series with victories at Durham and in the final game at the Oval starting on Aug 21.

And there is always a fierce rivalry and pride to play for whenever these two great enemies go head to head, let alone the momentum that Australia would carry Down Under for the return series later this year were they to claim wins in Durham and south London.

All these points were touched on by Australia's highly-magnanimous skipper in his post-match press conference on Monday afternoon, after the rain had finally brought a halt to proceedings at 16:39 BST.

As carried by the BBC, Clarke said:

"

I've probably had a bit more time to think about it because it's been raining all afternoon.

But look, there's no doubt our goal, and my goal as captain, was to come here and win the Ashes, and that hasn't happened. So I can guarantee everyone in that changing room is hurting.

"

"

We played very well this Test match, I think the whole team did a wonderful job. We have shown that we are here for the challenge, here for the fight. Drawing this series is most definitely our goal. I think we outplayed England in this Test match and they outplayed us in the first two, so I don't see much of a gap at all.

If we can level the series we will take a lot of confidence back to Australia and I'm confident that with the type of cricket we played here we will give it a good chase.

"

And the middle-order batsman will be hoping that his side can prove those words correct at Chester-le-Street, where weather permitting there will most definitely be a result one way or another on a ground making its Ashes debut.

As for the victorious England skipper, Cook was understandably muted in the post-match ceremony for someone who had just retained the urn in his debut Ashes series as captain.

In an interview carried by the BBC, Cook said:

"

It's obviously a great feeling and a slightly strange feeling. It's been a bit of a strange day - the weather hasn't been ideal and it hasn't quite got the atmosphere because of that. But the feeling in the dressing room is a very pleasant one.

To retain the Ashes after three games, playing some really good cricket in the first two and fighting hard here – I'd have bitten your hand off if you'd offered me that at the start of the series. Two-nil up with two to play is a good place to be.

Our first objective was to retain the Ashes, now I want to win them. We saw in this Test how competitive Australia are. Now we need to up our levels at Durham.

"

In light then of an all-round loosening of the collective shackles now that the Ashes have been retained, and given that the Chester-le-Street pitch is certain to favour the pace bowlers on both teams, there could well be changes made to each side.

England have already named their 13-man squad for Durham, omitting middle-order batsman James Taylor, now that Kevin Pietersen’s calf injury has fully healed, and left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, and recalling seamer Graham Onions on his home ground alongside other backup paceman Chris Tremlett.

Unless there are any major fitness concerns over any of their front-line bowlers between now and Friday, it is expected that England head coach Andy Flower will again name an unchanged starting XI, as the tourists might also do.

By luck or by judgement, Australia appear to have finally stumbled across their strongest lineup just as the Ashes were surrendered once again, and there must be a huge temptation to go in with the same side once again in Durham.

Much rests on the ability of key fast bowler Ryan Harris to be fit enough to play back-to-back Tests in such a short space of time. But with Harris being so important to their chances, coach Darren Lehmann may well take such a risk in order to scrape a 2-2 draw.

Elsewhere, the tourists may opt to leave out the ineffectual Nathan Lyons and go with exciting paceman Jackson Bird in his place in an all-seam attack.

Otherwise their batting should remain the same, except with David Warner swapping places with all-rounder Shane Watson at the top of the order as the left hander did in the second innings at Old Trafford.

Either way, if the rain stays away from the north east long enough, we are in store for yet another thrilling five days of high-octane drama between these two arch enemies.

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